Fence.



J. R. POTTERTON.

FENCE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1911 Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

U, 1,, 11/ m. I uh "I" Q 13 I? I] i T f Q Q Q Q 40 i Q "a: ii 12 5 13 51 l/MTA/ESSES f f //VVE/VTO/? JamvfZPorrmrwv J. R. POTTERTON.

FENCE.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV.7,1911 1,115,736. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEETS.

UMTED wmemm-Q m m ev nns-fi To'allwhom it may concern:- t

Be it known-that I, JOHN vB. PQI'IERTON,

a citizen of the United States-residing at Lynn, in the county'of Essexand State f lvlassachusetts, have invented new .and iise fnl- Improvements in Fences, oi Whichthe following is a specification,

This nvention relates .to 'improyements in fences. 3 v 0 It is an object of the invention to provide, an improved, fence having the advantages of portability and of adaptability" for use on land or in the water, in the latter case serving-zto exclude water, and applicable to the 5 many'other uses and having the. many other advantages that characterize the construe;

tion hereinafter described.

In; the accompanying 'dra.\\'ings, which illustrateembodiments of the, invention, 0 Figure l is a plan,indicatingnnarrange- 'ment of the fence in a river; Fig. 2 is an elevation, showing a section across such a river; Fig. 3 is aside elevation of a portion of :thefence, arranged upright and with a 5 ,topv binding rail ad ed.;' Fig. 3t its :a side ele- 'vation. of a. part of the same in section, showing details on a larigereealeyliig. 5 is aplanof the same, in section onthe line- 55 of Figri; Fig. 6 is an end elevation of .0 a detaihinsection; Fig.7. isa 'sideelevation similar to Fig. 4, but showing wire" panels and-,9. base especially adaptedfor use on land; Fig. 8 is a plan of the same, in section on theline 8.-8 of Fig. 7 Fig; 9 is a plan, .5 showing a detail of Fig. Senlarged; F 10 is nperspectiveview of a detail, still further enlarged; Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the fence showing style: of post fastening seen in Figs. 7 and 8; Figqlil is aside elevation to, of a fragment at the top of Fig. 11, enlarged, and partly in section; Fig. 13, is a .plan in section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12; and Fig. llis an enlarged plan 9f one type of.

0st. p Referring to the drawingsone'usfe and arrangement of the fence ,is'illustrated in Fig. 1 in' which it is shown-asarranged in a river bed, the direction of the river being shown by the arrow, and the fence being arranged to separate andinclose a portion 10 of the river bed, directingthe water of the riyer: through the channel [11 index-f eluding ,it from the-:portion ll) in order to 3 enable excavation orother-work to be car as. riedon.:."1Io;this end, the fence provides .a tight and firmly set barrier, which maybe FENCE-f j Specification of Letters Pzitent.

Patented Nov. 3,1914;-

Application flied Novemher '7, 511. seem at. 56583591 1 i upfwith relativeease,, and

down and installed elsewhere, Th'e'i'nce'consistsof a,.series oi postsi lgi'. and panels 13 interlocking withthe.p0sts,". the whole being preferablyi formed of sheet metal such as sheetfstiee 1- 1 galvanizedfl l n1etal-. It I w'vilhbefiinderstood that in the.

drawings lthe proportions and relatii eldif menis'ions and. distances of the parts" are3 necessarily distorted, owing to thc limita-,', I tio nfs of the size of the drdwing, and for the. sakeoif clearness of illustration. The posts may 'be in the form shown in Fig. "5 in which a post is seen, formed of sheetinetalrolledym or pressed into a shape whose crosssection has fiat parallel sides .on theopposite slides? o ffthe' fence and circular ocket sidesiinthei directionof the 'lengtl fofithe fence. sockets are marked 1 andare adapted to l receive the circular head 15 on the edge e a panel or Web interrening between posts'i' which lalsjo is preferably torined of' sheet] metal. Posts are made in sectional lengths,a as seen clearlyin Figs. 3 and l, the; 19 mm; length being: ashoe ill-having a pointed-{ end to facilitate 'i-tsfbeing driven into the soil forming the'bedgof the river. These:

- sectionaldengths aref prorided with means" for being fastened to each other, which, as lg represented, consl'stsof scre wthreaded pins 17,one of which is seenin Fig. l arrangfet l at'o'neen'd of a section adapted to screw lntoahole 18,111 the ad acent end of thei'nex't section. Asuflicient number, of lengthshav -i I ing be'eri; joined togethenwiqithla, lioellfi their lower end, and having'lieen ,taken-L'tof" I the place where thefence is to he erected in th'e b'ed of a river, the post'isput in the water whens shoe-resting on the bottoin 9 and .isthen driven downward intothe of the rii'e'r, -more lengths being addedfat the top as necessary. Preferably it'is driven 5 at somewhat of an angle frolnthe verticah},

" asillustratcd in Fig. 2 inclining towalil the side from which the water istobe'excluded. A' anel 13- is then pushed down edgewise', wit its head 15 in thesocket 14:; and then? thenextjpostm is pushed down at the end I of thlslpantal, with its socket l4 engaged 1 5 .withfthe other head 15'of tllfepl iel. Then f post, and so on as long as dOSll'CCl,- If; it happens that the point of a p' ost',' strikes a'fhoulder, the location oilthc posting may lie changed, (leflectingjthe logwrtjkini oil feiice' from .ap1'eeise"straigh't line' another panel 13 is added and-fthen another I enough to avoid such boulder; for it will be observed that the socket 14, being somewhat more than a semi-circle and somewhat less than as nearly complete a circle as would be possible, permits the panel and its head to turn through a number of degrees while in directions, with the same latitude for angu-- lar ariations of direction which is provided in the other cases by the form of the socket. The sectional lengths of the posts are individually strengthened, and are at thesame time prepared for connection to each otlienby fixing in each end of each'section a solid block 19. In the block at one end of the length a screw threaded hole 18 is formed; and in the-block at the other end of the length a screw stud or pin 17 is set.

These blocks 19 hold the sheet metal comprising the postfrom collapse or bending inward at each end: the peculiar shape of the sheet metal cross section makes a particu-.

larly rigid shell structure in the distance between the blocks; and the ,filling of the sockets by the beads 15 which fit loosely therein adds further strength to the post. Preferably these beads 15 overlap somewhat the junctions between sectional lengths of a post as illustrated in Fig. 4:, thus combining together still more firmly the adjacent lengths of a post because the beads break joints with the post sections.

In order to prevent theforce or lifting power of the water from loosening the fence and also in order to gain a firm setting for the part which is under earth, notwithstanding that earth is being excavated in the portion 10 of the river bed, the post is preferably inclined somewhat so'that its lower end projects under. the water side, as illustrated in Fig. 2'. By this arrangement the weight of the water coun'terbalances any lifting effect the impact of water might exert on the fence; and the impact spends itself in throwing water up higher on the fence insteadiof tending to throw the fence itself up higher. The weight of the water and other forces tending to dislodge the posts are resisted in part by these portions of the posts which are embedded in the earth under the river; and may inpart be sustained through the aid of extension pieces 20, running up into the air above the top of each post, to the upperends of which may be fastened guy ropes or wires 21 anchored in any suitable manner on the bank of the river. These poles are set in the holes 18 at the top of the top sections of the posts tween panels.

just as additional sections of such posts would'be set, to carry them higher.

,Leaka e I of Water through the fence is prevente by any suitable means. the means illustrated being strips of thin rubber 22 overlapping the cracks between the beads 15 and walls of sockets 14, Fig. 5, ands-strips or pads 23, protecting the horizontal joints be- If preferred, the sheet metal panels may be made with their upper horizontal edges formed into grooves or sockets opening upward, as illustrated in Fig. 6, in

the bottom of which rubber orother suitable packing material 23 may be placed, the ad-:

acent edge of the next higher'panel fitting into this socket and being seated against the rubber or other packing material. Theifas-' tening of these rubber strips 22' to the panels may be effected by occasional rivets as illustrated, or by the formation of a groove in the panel, and the use of a spline which wedges one edge of the strip into the groove or the fastening may be accomplished by any other suitable means, v

holding the packing 23 may be formed be The grooves for tween strips 24 fastened on each side of the panel 13.

lVhen the fence is to be used on land similar posts and panels may be, employed, ex-,

cept that in this caseit is obviously not necessary to have the rubber packing for the cracks nor is it necessary that webs of continuous sheeting.

v()ne form of panel which may be used if preferred is illustrated in Fig. 7 where in place of a web of galvanized iron in the body of the panel, wires 25' are employed.

the panels be Tn such case the panel has two vertical beaded edges 15 of sheet metal, as before,"

one arranged vertically at each end of the panel and having its bead adapted to fit into the sockets 14. Top and bottom horizontal bars 26 are provided, which serve as struts. The wires 25 may be fastened at one end as indicated at27, and as seen more in detail in Figs. 9 and 10; and may be" fastened at the other end to adjustable tighteners 28,"as illustrated more in detail in Fig. 8. The first mentioned fastening consists of a thimble 29 passing through'the two lips of the rolled sheet metal which forms the bead 15 comprising the vertical edge of the panel; within the thimble 29 is the thimble 27, having a turned-in spur 30 illustrated clearly in Fig. 10, around which the wireis slot 29"inthe thimble 29. At the fastening of the other end of the wi re is a conical plug 28 set in the sheet metal edges in a manner corresponding to that of the thimble 29, ex-

cept that, because it .is conical, by pulling it out endwise it is loosened and by putting it fastened, the wire reaching 1t through a" in it is tightened, that hole in the sheet metal in which one end of'this plug is sealed be-' ing a little smaller than that which the lab - such as asocketw ing the f sub-division of the tc-nings would incidentally This, plug has a. square, llCflCl. which may be turned by a. wrench rench, pressure. being at plied to drive itatrans-v The operation of this wire25, fastened to the same time ap versely into its sea plug and at t ward toward its seat. plug and its seat holds it firmly at whatever degree of tightness the wire has been drawn. One of these being provided. for each of the wires 25, all wires may be drawn equally tight. The rectangular wire panel illustratd in Fig. 7 thus becomes an indepeiid' ent unit which can be removed and insorted by itself, just like one of the web panels 13 illustrated in Fig. i. I

A conve pressing it in- Fnction between the nient and novel method of fastenence firmly and yet removably on I theground is illustratcd in Fig. 7, where the section of the post which enters the ground i issub-divided into four. A base or sill 33 I is shown adapted to be attached to one of i the sections 12 as if it were a sectional length of post, but its principal dimension is laterally or transversely of the fence in the horizontal direction. It extends a suit able distance to each side of the fence and rests on'tlie ground. .This sill has grooves 34, in its top adapted to receive the heads of I post. fastening rods or shoes 35 seen best in Figs.

" le of being driven into the earth to any. desired deptlnfor example, a foot and a half or two feet, and which may be provided with barbs to rel and 11 which are capab tore'st upon tops of the fastened thereto, t ingithe removal'o may. useful, an it attho tops of such post rail may be pable of. be

The fastening il projecting s :scrtcdthrou engage under These catches clearly in Fig. 12 'key 41 between the in the position seen ing of the key thro catches together tractcd through t rail permits the Another latch 43 panels 13, as seen i by these panels ar The fence thus de many uses other tha scctiiiuis of post may dimensions of length the panels likewise hus covering f the panels 1 have any desired design,

3. ornamental or and may be t intotlie holes 18 in blocks 19 of the posts '5. are secured fastened to i one means-atha-t 'may lie-em- 1g a latch 41 as ill ing released'by a key 42.

lusti'lated consi ri catc es, gh lg lie hole 18 the bottom are hic he spring apart and of the block 19. pivoted as illustrated so that the insertion of tail ends of these catches, in Fig. 12, and the turn- 0 that they can be exhe hole. Removal of the panels 13 to be'removed. may be provided on the n Figs. 12 e latched i Such a spring niche of the rolls 44:,

at any desired ele n the position latch may which may be vation on the scribed is applicable to n that illustrated. The be made in any suitable or of cross section and may be adapted to the tard their movement or loosening after havuse desired. The fence lends itself readily ing been put in place. When four of these to use for completely inclosing a small area, have been driven down the fence post is such as for a chicken coop, or for a'movable firmly anchored just as if the post extended yard for farm stock. \Vhen so arranged, if own in a single shaft. the area included be small, a floor covering In the construction here illustrated the the inclosed area can'be supported on the mass 33 rests on the and may, without inc installation, have or hearing on the posts land, or to in w . ping it would turn about one of its lateral sheet extremities. andall of the rest of the mass with rise, the distance of risnov Fig. 3 in which is she The system earth shown water as well as on lan panels show lightness, and bei able without damage and'with relatively wn a rail 40 adapted adapte el of the bottom of anchoring th in Fig. 7

at the lev of the panels. e fence to the can be used under (1; and the style of n in Figs. 1 to can be used on as for example, t

make a billboard. Regarding the fence as a whole the invention affords a structure hich both posts an d panels are made of combining strength ng at the same time metal, the form ing depending on its distance from the corlittle effort.

ner about which the tipping tends to occur. I claim lVhen it is desired to move such a'fence the 1. The combination with a fence post panels 13 may bercmovcd by lifting them adapted to receive panels on its sides, reout; and then the separate sub-divisions movable by lifting upward, of a piece adaptof the 1 underground fastening extracted cd to extend laterally from the centerof the singly; and the whole fence carried else- I post, covering the ends. and preventing rewherc and set up again. -To prevent this moval of the panels; and a lock fastening removal by an unauthorizedperson a special said piece on top of the post.

fastening or locking device is "illustrated in 2. The combination with a fence post d to receive panels on its sides, re-

sts of two 0 forma. wind break posts 12 and to be i and prevent- Thisrail 12, as the sections. to each other; The such blocks in any ws the lower ends of the and 13, wheres 'of the post, covering the ends of, and preed on theposts, extending laterally there from over the panels and meeting between" the posts, forming atop rail for the fence; 1 ventingremoval of, the panels; a spring a-ncljmeans fastening removably saidpieces" latch engagement between said piece and conip'risin: the top rail to the p0sts-.- the interior'of the post at the top; whereby Signed hy me at Boston, Mass, this end the piece is normally fastened on top of the (lay ot-November, 1911. 1 post; and a key for bendingsaid spring to v R POTTERTONN I release said fastening. i v

3, The combination with fence posts \Vitnesses:

adapted to receive panels on their sides, re- -EVERETT KENT, movable by lifting upward, of pieces mount- ANNA B. LINDSAY. v

movable by lifting upward; of. a piece adapted te'extentl laterally from the center 

